Ohio Whitetail Prep: Reading Wind, Access, and Terrain

Bowhunting feels different when your season stretches from North Carolina’s vine-choked swamps to Kentucky’s rolling hills and straight into Ohio’s ag edges. We open with the truth about why NC forges better woodsmanship—tight cover, fickle wind, and micro terrain that forces clean access and constant adjustments. Then we rewind to a velvet Kentucky buck and unpack why a risky wind still produced, what heavy camera intel can and can’t do for you, and how thermals, ladder-stand trees, and a saddle platform turned a narrow window into a clean shot.

From there, we map out an Ohio game plan with almost no history: lean on wind mapping in the field, prioritize travel corridors between bedding and food, and observe just long enough to move in hard. Beans getting cut? We talk about how harvest flips patterns overnight, why hard scrape lines in thick cover can beat field edges, and how to place and camouflage cell cams high and angled to catch skirting bucks without educating them. We also address EHD headlines—what’s confirmed, what to watch locally, and how to make smart decisions without losing the hunt to rumor.

Gear arguments get real-world answers. We compare mechanicals and fixed heads through the lens of tuning and forgiveness, share on-animal results with Easton 5.0 arrows, and explain why flatter trajectories widen your margin under 40 yards—if you tune well and shoot within your comfort. We round it out with practical systems: saddle height in open timber vs canopy cover, reliable headlamp setups for dark exits, release choices that match the hunt, and the mindset to push in without fear of “ruining” a spot when time is short.

If you’re chasing early season whitetails and want a clear, honest blueprint—wind, access, thermals, sign, then action—this one’s for you. Listen, steal the tactics, and tell us what you’re seeing in Ohio this week. If this helped, follow, share with a hunting buddy, and leave a quick review so more bowhunters can find the show.

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Transcript

Season Kickoff & Why NC Is Tough

Zakk Plocica 0:00

All right, Brian, you're heading to Ohio for some deer hunting. Yes, sir. Gonna try. Oh, yeah, dude. I'm excited for you. You just got back from Kentucky. You've been hunting North Carolina hard. You've started off this year with a bang.

Bryan Gay 0:13

Trying. Um, it it definitely North Carolina's. If you can hunt here, you can hunt anywhere. It's, I mean, the swamps, the thickets, the it's it's entirely different anywhere else. I agree.

Zakk Plocica 0:24

So that's what we're talking about today, guys, on the Archery Project. We are covering Brian and his. We're gonna talk about Kentucky deer that you just shot. We're gonna talk about how uh North Carolina is a struggle state, uh, and then what your strategy looks like heading out to Ohio. So thanks again for joining us today, guys. I'm your host, Zach Placea, and I got Mr. Brian Gay back on the podcast with his infinite wisdom and all of his experience. And we are, we're gonna discuss it all.

Bryan Gay 0:51

I don't know about infinite trial by error.

Zakk Plocica 0:53

Trial by error, trial by fire, whatever it is. It's your dude, you're figuring it out pretty dang quick.

Bryan Gay 0:59

It's I'm figuring something out. You are. I'm in deer almost every night. I I know. Just so not the ones I want to shoot.

Zakk Plocica 1:05

Well, you know, so that's impressive in its own, I think, for a lot of people. I'm especially like like it's bow hunting's hard, right? It's it can be very discouraging for a lot of people because that's what we hear a lot. Like, I'm just not seeing deer. And I think for a lot of people getting into it, that's kind of the struggle, especially here in North Carolina, is like you'll get it, you're sporadic. Sure. But I think you know you're making progress when you're consistently finding deer in new locations, right? Because that's what you're doing.

Bryan Gay 1:32

Yeah, new locations.

Zakk Plocica 1:33

You're not in one spot sitting in the same area.

Wind, Access, and Aggressive Moves

Bryan Gay 1:35

Yeah, I constantly move. If if there's so entry and exit points are always key, right? Play the wind, get in when you can, and then you know, scent here is is huge because the and the wind will change on you in a heartbeat. So I look at wind patterns a lot. I downloaded the Windy app and I just look at the you know the whole week.

Zakk Plocica 1:56

Right. So, you know, I talked to it's funny, you we talk about wind. Uh, wind is critical, wind and access, right? Critical for being successful or not successful. Um, and I talked to our buddy Joe Kolaszewski a little bit, yeah, and his approach is pretty good, man. Um the wind, like my biggest issue was the wind was limiting me right to where I would think that I had access to because I'm like, man, wow, that's a northeast wind. I can't access this portion of the property. I'm never gonna be able to hunt it. And his approach was, man, sometimes you got to just take chances and see. If you don't know where those deer are coming from, you're never gonna know if you don't get into there. So that was one of the big things I took away from him. And I've kind of applied that. And I've hunted a I don't want to say a lot, but a little bit more than I typically do early season this year. And same, I've been in a lot of deer. Uh, the the hunting hasn't been great. Um, but I've been more consistent in seeing deer and being a little bit more aggressive with this uh on the property that I, you know, I just didn't fully comprehend yet. Sure, sure.

Bryan Gay 3:01

Yeah. Um without trail cameras, yes, it makes it super difficult. So I I know that one of the great spots where I goofed on that buck was you I can't get in there unless it's a south-southeast wind. Right. And I know because that's the direction that they're all coming from. I had three does and that buck all come in on the south-southeast side.

Zakk Plocica 3:22

This is for North Carolina, yeah.

Bryan Gay 3:24

So it's um there's no way to get in there unless you play that wind. If it's a north-northeast wind, it's gonna go right into them. You're never gonna see them. Right. Um, it that's just the way it is. But then like in Kentucky, it didn't matter.

Zakk Plocica 3:36

Isn't that weird? Uh, like how different um the deer are because I I like I said I hunt Kentucky too, and it seems like the deer are a little bit more lax there, maybe just pressure-wise, um, or maybe it's the thermals, maybe it's the wind. I'm not really sure, but it seems like you can get away with a little bit more in some states than you can than others when it comes to like I think terrain has a lot to do with it. I do too.

Bryan Gay 4:01

You know what I mean? So obviously thermals play a huge role in the morning, everything's rising, in the evening, everything's falling. So, with that in mind, in the evening, since that that's primarily what I hunt early season, I'm trying to get into a bottom, like a swamp bottom, because I know my thermals are not gonna go anywhere higher. And if this animal comes to me, they're coming down to me. So by the time they know that I'm there, it's too late. That makes sense. And then the wind, if you play the wind right, it's gonna swirl at a bottom, anyways, because it's coming over, you know, a ridge or a hill or whatever you want to call it, a ditch line. And this, in our case, it's gonna swirl when it gets down there. So you just do your best to stay out of it and you know, constantly check it. That's the glory of moving in a saddle, is I can just kind of move around the tree and use the tree to block a little bit of that. But that's I hunt, I hunt in the in the ditches.

Zakk Plocica 4:50

Yeah, I'm yeah, the micro terrain here is more what you would call it, I guess.

Bryan Gay 4:53

Yeah. But in in Ohio, I mean, Ohio, I don't, it's it's pretty windy there all the time. And there's I'm gonna play the wind, obviously, but we're gonna kind of hang and bang and see if we can go.

Zakk Plocica 5:04

Yeah, so so let's so let's start with Kentucky, right? So you you've you've done very well in North Carolina in the last couple years. You hunted Kentucky this year. That was a guided hunt.

Bryan Gay 5:13

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 5:14

Um, you shot a killer deer deer, yeah, and that was a velvet buck.

Bryan Gay 5:19

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 5:19

First one.

Bryan Gay 5:20

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 5:20

What did he score? Do you know?

Bryan Gay 5:22

Um, well, you can't really score them in velvet, but I'm gonna say 230. So, I mean, that's because it's when the velvet drops, everything gets smaller, right? Because there's so much, it's it's actual skin on it. Um, so it makes everything thicker. The measurements are a lot bigger. Um it was a big deer. Oh, yeah. He he weighed. I mean, I'm sorry. Did I say two? He weighed 230. He weighed 230. I was gonna say that's a no, he was a um like 130-inch deer.

Zakk Plocica 5:47

130-inch deer, and he weighed 230.

Bryan Gay 5:49

Yes, correct. Um, monster. It took four of us to get him in the back of the side by side. Um, a lot of that was because we didn't want to grab the antlers to rip the velvet off because we're um preserving it. So it's gonna be a killer mount.

Zakk Plocica 6:02

Yeah, so when it came to that deer, what did what was the the strategy, right? So we talked about it a little bit. You didn't utilize the stand that was already there. You got you actually used your own sticks and so I used it, it was a ladder stand.

Bryan Gay 6:15

Yep. I I went in thinking I had to play the wind. Right. Right? So checked the wind, I looked at the forecast, I looked at everything. I was gonna use a whole different stand, a whole different setup. And the landowner was like, look, we've got these two ladder stands. You don't necessarily have to sit in those, but they're already set up, they're great trees, they're easy shots. I was like, well, let me put my platform because I don't like shooting from a ladder stand. Yeah. Since I've gotten used to a saddle, I'd rather shoot from that anyways. I'll put my platform above this ladder stand and hunt out of that. Because the first tree I got into trying to play the wind, full of ants. Like, complete. I was like, and I was three sticks high already, and this tree started just like crawling and move, and I was like, oh crap. And then of course they gave me a hard time because I ended up being in the tree that was already had a ladder stand in it, but I was just I was using my own stuff, yeah, just more comfortable with it.

Zakk Plocica 7:04

Yeah, so why did you pick that stand? Was was the wind in your favor for that? Based on it. Absolutely not. It was not, so that's interesting. So why was those? So then why did you sit in that stand?

Bryan Gay 7:14

So it was they had a huge amount of data. Um, the guy runs like 50 trail cameras.

Zakk Plocica 7:21

So Joe said 65.

Bryan Gay 7:22

Yeah, it's yeah, it's a ton.

Zakk Plocica 7:24

It's in which is insane.

Bryan Gay 7:26

A ton of cameras. And that was the um there was a bunch of other guys up there from Florida too, but that was the spot that had the most action. Okay. So they wanted to put me on that, you know, um, which I was grateful for was awesome. So they're like, yeah, he saw them on camera before, you know, it was still gray lighted. I couldn't even just make out what it was. He goes, shooter buck's in there already. And he texts me, and I was like, okay, well, I'll I'll see what happens when I can see him.

Zakk Plocica 7:52

So so the wind wasn't in your favor, the wind was blowing over the deer, over your back.

Bryan Gay 7:57

Well, it was kind of coming right to left, right? I don't know which I can't orientate my my directional compass.

Zakk Plocica 8:05

Was the wind was the deer downwind of you though?

Bryan Gay 8:07

Um almost, yeah. Almost. Yeah, he was I if it was kind of like a side wind, coming across me.

Zakk Plocica 8:13

So maybe not quite catching your scent.

Bryan Gay 8:15

Yeah. I mean, I was still scent-free. I do everything I do. It doesn't nothing changes.

Zakk Plocica 8:20

Right, but you still can't beat it, you're still not gonna eliminate scent fully.

Bryan Gay 8:24

No, no, no, no. I mean, if you look at the like a scent cone, yep, right, as as where I was and the deer was, I was like, I was right in it where his scent cone would be.

Zakk Plocica 8:35

Hmm.

Bryan Gay 8:36

But I mean it didn't seem to matter. It did not seem to matter.

Zakk Plocica 8:40

So and and this when this is early season, right? Obviously, velvet buck, but you hunted the morning there. Yep. So so and that's that's something too, right? So typically you most people are not gonna hunt mornings during early season um because you have a high likelihood of really screwing up the deer, really, right? If you don't know exactly what they're doing or what their pattern is, um, because it's usually they're on the feet early in the morning, you get in, you bump them out, you're not gonna see them again. Right. So this was a little bit different. You guys had enough data based off the trail cameras that you were able to put that into play in order to get in there undetected before that deer. So, what time did you get in the woods?

Bryan Gay 9:20

Uh, it was probably five o'clock. Sunrise. Oh, yeah, it was super early. Super early. Super early. I was in the stand set up five o'clock. So we went the afternoon before and I hung my set. So I just left my tree tether in the tree and my um platform, and then I literally just they gave me the keys to a four-wheeler and I rode a four-wheeler down the side of a path, like a goat path, and then parked it, walked in another 300, 400 yards, and then uh climbed up the ladder, sat up, and just waited.

Zakk Plocica 9:51

What time was sunrise?

Bryan Gay 9:52

Do you remember? Like 6:48. So did you shoot him 37 minutes into legal light? 37 minutes into legal light.

Zakk Plocica 10:00

So that's efficient as it gets.

Bryan Gay 10:02

Yeah. Well, it was, I mean, good and bad. Because I mean, it was uh we'd planned a few days, right? So now the hunt's over.

Zakk Plocica 10:09

Yeah, well, you shot doe too afterwards, right? Yeah, two of them. It's still fun. Just two of them. So, I mean, what was your biggest takeaway for Kentucky? Because, like I said, it's a different style of hunting, right? So I know you as more, you've had success just on your own, right? So, like off the beaten path, taking boats, using utilizing a boat as access to get deep in the woods where no one else can get, and you've killed some killer deer in North Carolina that way. This was different, right? This was all basically laid out for you, which also is pretty cool because I think there's a lot of takeaways from that because you're able to observe deer and kind of watch and and learn a little bit. So, was there any major learning points from you from this this that style hunt versus your normal hunting?

Bryan Gay 10:49

So, I mean, it was it was hunting over food source, yep, right? Um, which it's an easy way to do it for sure.

Zakk Plocica 10:59

Um easy way to do it. I don't know. You put a lot of work into it. So so that's the thing, and and you know, I've always been on, you know, I'm I'm not I've I've never been big into that, right? Like you're your your own baiting, right? Yep. I think every most people have done it. To me, it's it's it's just a lot of effort. It is. So it is, and that's the difference with it. I talked to Joe about it. The amount of effort he puts in to some of these locations is un unbelievable, man. The amount that the the hundreds of pounds of minerals that he puts out starting in January, the amount of detail he puts into trail cameras and maintaining them and collecting intel and then setting up these actual bait sites. Um, it's just a different style of hunting, and there's so much work that goes into it. I didn't realize.

Bryan Gay 11:52

He does it entirely. He does, yes. So he will, he will run a tractor. I mean, he's planting mineral, he's doing everything like as extensive as he can to make sure that they are successful. Yes. Kentucky, they're running cameras and they just dump corn. It's not, I mean Oh, really? Oh, yeah. Okay. I mean, it was a little different there.

Zakk Plocica 12:12

I didn't realize you could bait in Kentucky. Yeah, private land you can. Oh, okay. Just not on public.

Bryan Gay 12:17

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A lot of states are like that.

Zakk Plocica 12:19

Interesting. So, how did you feel about that hunt though? I mean, was it is it as fun to you, like that style of hunt versus you know, on your own? Is it the same reward? It is and it isn't.

Bryan Gay 12:30

Okay, you know. Um, I was grateful for the opportunity to be able to do it. It obviously was a phenomenal, biggest year to date.

Zakk Plocica 12:37

Um super cool concept, too, with them and the the program.

Bryan Gay 12:40

I feel like, and there's so much, I mean, there's I get they call them haulers, creek ends, bottoms, I mean, huge oak bottoms. And there were turkey everywhere. Like, and I didn't realize it was turkey season because I would have smoked one of those in my bow too. But um, I think that if I were to do it again or to just do, you know, get into a lease into Kentucky or something, do things the way that Joe does them, like the prep that you know, making sure everything is the way that I want them, not just necessarily throwing 200 pounds of corn out on a specific site and sitting over it. Right. You know, because I want to be able to move and run and gun and do my thing, and then I I want to make the play. Yeah, exactly. You know what I mean?

Zakk Plocica 13:23

Yeah, and and that's the thing. So then that's what Joe does, right? So like Joe does all the work, and like he puts in that dude puts in work 365.

Bryan Gay 13:31

Oh, yeah.

Zakk Plocica 13:32

Um, and he's a wealth of knowledge, like just the we we've got a lot of great resources at our hand, I think personally, here that we have access to. You being one of them, all the other guys we know, Levi's, Joe Long's, Joe Kolashewski's, all these different individuals with all these different experiences and all these different tactics. Um, we're able to pick their brains. Um, but Joe is very um, very extensive, puts in a lot of effort into his hunting and setting up scenarios and creating opportunity not only for himself but other people.

Bryan Gay 14:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He is, and I'm trying to pick his brains so me too. He is I I'm definitely not done learning. Right. So no.

Zakk Plocica 14:12

And you're a student of this game indefinitely, I think. I would say that Joe and Levi's and all of them are constantly students of the game.

Bryan Gay 14:19

But like, we'll go, I'll go out with him and he'll be like, dude, I've already seen two deer. And I'm like, what? And so I'm like, what the heck? You know, because we're, I feel like sitting in the I'm like, dude, how are you on deer? I'm gonna sit with you. He goes, Okay, come on. I was like, no, like in your tree. In your lap. Yeah. It's exactly verbatim what I said. I was like, because he's seeing, and and they're not great bucks, but you know, he's seeing he saw a spike, then a crab claw, and then a small basket seven, all in one sitting, you know, and he's going in.

Zakk Plocica 14:51

And we're talking about North Carolina right now.

Bryan Gay 14:52

Yeah, yeah, yeah. In the new area. Yep. Yep. Where I'm seeing does. Yeah. Like, oh crap.

Zakk Plocica 14:58

So what is he doing different?

Bryan Gay 15:00

What did you learn? I yeah, no, he's he is literally just finding sign. He is like digging deep.

Pressure, Thermals, and Terrain Differences

Zakk Plocica 15:06

So what sign is he looking for currently that he's like if like if we were to talk about it? Hard scrape line. Hard scrap right now.

Bryan Gay 15:12

Yep, fresh scrape line. And he's sitting right over the screen. That's what he said. He said, I'm I'm getting on a hard scrape line and then making a play from there. Where I was doing the same thing, but I didn't see anything. A bunch of well, I saw no, I did. I saw a spike the other night. It was actually still in velvet.

Zakk Plocica 15:27

In North Carolina? Yeah.

Bryan Gay 15:28

Really? Yeah. Super weird. I got a video of it, but it's not great because he was at like 36 yards. But I was like, Well, that's crazy. Yeah. Huh, interesting. Yeah. And we're hunting within 600 yards of each other, same general area, you know, but like, and he he will go to extensive lengths. I dropped him off the other night in the boat. He ran the boat with me, and I was like, hey, look, I'm gonna kind of put you here. I'm gonna be here. He goes, okay. He goes, You're not gonna be able to pick me up in the same spot. I go, all right. So then I came back on the back side of the creek line, like overhead high reads, and he's waist deep in the water. He goes, Yeah, here I am. I was like, Oh my god, dude.

Zakk Plocica 16:12

So this is the easiest way out. So he's just pushing really far back. Oh, yeah, or just into the deepest, thickest stuff. Yeah. Because North Carolina, we know, right, is very, very thick, very difficult to hunt just because it's so thick, right? And you can't see but 20 to 30 yards in front of you. Maybe. Yeah, depending on that.

Bryan Gay 16:29

I came out last night and it was like three feet in front of me.

Zakk Plocica 16:33

That's interesting. So he's, I mean, so he's just finding sign for early season, fresh scrape lines, and then making a move based off that. And it's all around, I'm assuming, pretty thick stuff.

Bryan Gay 16:43

Oh, yes, super thick stuff.

Zakk Plocica 16:45

Off the beat, very, very minimal shot opportunities. Hmm. That's interesting. So completely different than Kentucky, right? Wildly, yeah. And Ohio, I assume. Yeah. So, like we said, North Carolina's very thick, very, very um difficult to navigate, to get through, to get back to anywhere. What about so how was the Kentucky actual terrain? Was it where you were where you were at? Was it is a lot of rolling hills? Yep. Okay.

Bryan Gay 17:12

Yep, a lot of rolling hills, a lot of single-lane roads. Like, I mean, back where we were, there's no yellow lines. It is one lane.

Zakk Plocica 17:18

Oh, yeah. So pretty old school.

Bryan Gay 17:20

Like that's cool. So, and a lot of not a lot of ag. There's like farmland, but it's animal farm.

Zakk Plocica 17:29

Yeah, so like cattle farms and stuff like that. Yep. Yeah. So, like the property that my um my family owns in Kentucky, uh, that's it used to be cattle farms. Okay. A lot of rolling hills, beautiful terrain, like just landscape, awesome. Uh, and my my cousin Seth, he kind of oversees like as far as like the hunting side, but it's leased out now to somebody that uh farms it.

Bryan Gay 17:51

Okay.

Zakk Plocica 17:51

So I think there's soybeans on it right now. So it's a different the landscape for us has changed uh in this property over the last few years because it was all cattle farms forever, and now it's ag. So it's a little different. So it's that kind of changed how the deer move. And there's so many deer uh there versus like there's like herds of deer there. Versus here, you see like a couple, like I'll see, like I did notice that too two to five. Um, you know, here and there, there's like 40 field. It's crazy. Which, you know, you look at it, Ohio right now is going through that um that deer CH what's the CWD? No, it's not CWD. I thought it was something different. It's whatever, it's a it's an issue with the deer, right? Right. Um is that affect where you're going?

Bryan Gay 18:37

No. So I'm on it it's virtually zero pressure. Um, and and the deer that that I've seen that I've got, my brother hung two cameras and I love them to death, but he's not a hunter.

Zakk Plocica 18:50

Um yeah, it's EHD.

Bryan Gay 18:53

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 18:53

EHD. So that's a massive thing going on in Ohio currently, but that doesn't affect where you're at. I don't know. Dude, I'll have to look. There's been like thousands of deer that have died that have they have found. I know guys that canceled trips going to Ohio because um of that. Oh wow. So you haven't seen anything about it, huh?

Bryan Gay 19:12

No. Not for not for that county. Okay, where you're at. Yeah. Interesting. So I mean, now I'm gonna double check. Yeah, I would.

Reading Sign: Scrapes, Rubs, and Micro-Moves

Zakk Plocica 19:20

So EHD is what it was, not CWD. I think they have both, but EHD is like the massive issue currently in Ohio. Wow. Well, dude, they're they're saying they found thousands of deer.

Bryan Gay 19:31

Really? Yes. Um but that's still so I know CWD is non-transmittable to humans, right? Is EHD? Um we're gonna figure it out.

Zakk Plocica 19:47

Hundreds of sick or dead deer reported in 2025. Uh it says outbreaks have been observed in southeastern Ohio counties, such as Athens, Washington, places like that.

Bryan Gay 19:59

Yeah, no, I'm going south of Cincinnati.

Zakk Plocica 20:01

Okay, so it says it's a viral illness that affects whitetailed deer. It's a virus spread by a small biting fly. Um, and symptoms are high fever, dehydration, unusual behavior, unresponsiveness, or standing with its head down. Um, it's transmitted by those flies, particularly in late summer and early fall when their population is high. Uh, they're currently monitoring it, and there have been thousands of deer that have died in Ohio. And I know Kentucky is a uh an observation, um, at least a county that I go to, uh, observation county for either CWD or EHD. Yeah. So it seems like it's, dude, more and more rampant.

Bryan Gay 20:42

Yeah. Well, I mean, we have resources at our fingertips. So it could have been known before, and we just didn't have access to it. Well, no, they're finding thousands of dead deer. Well, I mean, they could have found them ten years ago and they just didn't report it.

Zakk Plocica 20:58

Yeah, I don't know, man.

Bryan Gay 20:59

I think it's uh definitely from what I've seen, um extensive than because I know CWD was a big thing before, right? But and I don't know if this is just a separate strain of it. No, it's a different um altogether.

Zakk Plocica 21:17

CWD is a neurological disease affecting the brain and central nervous system, while the EHD is a viral illness that affects them and causes unusual behavior and death. So that the yeah, I don't know. Uh definitely seems more prominent. At least it's more there's more people speaking about it and it's more in the news than it has been. So to what um how much more? I don't know. Uh, but clearly it is an issue. But I do know a couple guys who were supposed to go to Ohio and cancel the trips because of um the issues. So that might be. You have to report back and see. It's already paid for. Yeah, so I'm going. Go no matter what. Yep. So the landscape's obviously different. Um, Kentucky, uh, a lot more open, uh, a lot more shot opportunities, I'm assuming, based off the amount of deer you see. What's Ohio's landscape like versus is it more similar to Kentucky?

Bryan Gay 22:08

No. Okay. No, so this is um small patches of woods dividing ag fields.

Zakk Plocica 22:14

So, so with that, is um, does that create more based off the properties that you've got more opportunity to pinpoint deer because of the you can pinpoint travel corridors a lot easier uh and betting.

Bryan Gay 22:28

Okay, but as far as food source, because there's corn in this field, there's soybeans in this field, you've got to figure out when they're going where. Right. And trying to get any of that information without actually boots on the ground is gonna be super tough.

Zakk Plocica 22:40

So you don't have any prior intel going into this? Do you have any cameras or anything run up there?

Bryan Gay 22:44

I do. So I gave my brother two cameras to run. Just two. Yep, just two. Not 65. No, no. I'm gonna take probably a couple more just to like, hey, just hold on to these, and then I'll give you a game plan for next year. Yeah. And then we'll we'll go from there. But I'm I'm gonna literally get there Friday, probably mid-afternoon, run, scout, throw some extra stuff out, some minerals, some things like that, and then wait for it. And I'll I'll set up a couple extra cameras that I'll pull down when I leave, but just have them go for that week that I'm there and then uh make a game plan, get boots on the ground.

Zakk Plocica 23:22

So, I mean, what is the game plan when you're there? Is it just observation hunts initially?

Bryan Gay 23:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Zakk Plocica 23:27

Just kind of sit back and observe what's happening.

Bryan Gay 23:29

So I'll get in Friday. I know where there's a couple deer. I've seen I've seen the buck run through a few times on camera. It just because he's not on the camera doesn't mean he's not there. Right. Right.

Zakk Plocica 23:40

So that is that is important for for people. We we hear about that because people are like, I'm not seeing anything on my camera, and it turns out they're skirting right outside of your camera.

Bryan Gay 23:48

Sure. Yep. Yeah, so I'm gonna go do so Friday afternoon, set everything up. I'm gonna take my ground blind because I know there's a spot that they're in there, but there's really no good trees to get into, so I will have to ground hunt it.

Zakk Plocica 24:00

So you don't think throwing a ground blind up is gonna disrupt their current behavior?

Bryan Gay 24:04

Not if I throw food out.

Zakk Plocica 24:07

Maybe. You know, you don't think it's gonna take a little bit of time for them to come to it or not be alarmed by it? Well, I'll set up an extra camera and we'll see. Yeah, find out. That's only one way to learn, right? Yeah.

Ohio Plan: Ag Edges, Corridors, and Cameras

Bryan Gay 24:16

Um, so that's my kind of plan right now. Um and then, you know, because I got a hard creek line on the other side of the farm, and then corn and a bunch of rolling hills and a creek line on the far end. So I've got three spots I like realistically can rotate through, and then the Ohio River's on the backside. So they just don't want me stomping through fields, but I think the soybeans are gonna be cut this week.

Zakk Plocica 24:42

So while you're there or before you get there? Before I get there. Okay, so that that's gonna change things up a little bit. Yeah. So I mean, are you planning on mainly hunting travel corridors? Because there's so much food you're gonna have to figure out where they're traveling and cut them off. Is that the goal between is it still between bedding and food?

Bryan Gay 24:57

Yep. That's that's where I found the most luck. You know, betting and food, getting them in transit too, one or the other, is is where I've had the most luck.

Zakk Plocica 25:07

Yeah, that makes sense. So, what about as far as um like this time of year? When is the rut? November, November, early November. Yeah. So you're still pretty early season.

Bryan Gay 25:18

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 25:18

Are you only gonna hunt? Uh so because you're out of state, are you only gonna hunt evening still? Are you gonna set out you plan on hunting all day, every day, just observing?

Bryan Gay 25:27

I'll do mornings, come out, come up with a game plan, look at, you know, collect any data that I can, and then make the play for the evening.

Zakk Plocica 25:35

Yeah. And so you're gonna be there for a total of five days?

Bryan Gay 25:38

Um from the 10th to the 15th or the 16th. So roughly. Yeah. So you have roughly four to five days in the woods. Yep. So like I'll get there Friday, get everything set, take Saturday morning off, come up with a really good game plan, get as much intel as I can Friday afternoon into evening, you know, sit, watch glass, do whatever I can from the field edge, look where I can in the travel corridors I can see, and then come up with a game plan for Saturday night, and then just go go ham until I have to leave. How much property is it?

Zakk Plocica 26:13

A lot.

Bryan Gay 26:13

Yeah.

unknown 26:14

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 26:15

Like hundreds of acres? Um, probably, yeah. And it's just you hunting it?

Bryan Gay 26:19

Yeah. Wow. Yeah. So right now. It's just me. My brother might, but I doubt it. Is he bow hunt or is he rifle hunt? Uh he's a big, you know, person. He does whatever he can.

Zakk Plocica 26:32

So Ohio's different.

Bryan Gay 26:33

Oh yeah, he's way bigger than you. Oh, yeah.

Zakk Plocica 26:35

That's right. I forgot.

Bryan Gay 26:36

There's a massive difference in massive difference. Yeah, that's right. Um Ohio, you can gun hunt, but I don't know when it opens, A, and then it's all straight wall cartridges. So you can't shoot any high-powered rifles. Right. Um, which really limits your distance. So, I mean, unless you take in trajectory and, you know, drop and all that stuff, but no one wants to do that. That's not fun.

Zakk Plocica 26:59

Yeah. So yeah, no doubt. So you're gonna be hunting travel corridors. I mean, I as far as right now, you've got two cameras hang out. Do you have any good d data to go off of?

Bryan Gay 27:13

Yeah, there's a nice big ten out there, and there's an well, there's two big tens. Um, one super wide, and then one is like a non-typical.

Zakk Plocica 27:21

So when are you what are you seeing on the trail cameras currently? Is it all nighttime activity where you've got those cameras hung? So right now it is, yeah. So based off that, what's your game plan?

Bryan Gay 27:31

I've seen does in the morning and bucks in the evening.

Zakk Plocica 27:34

Like at night, evening, or late, late, late, late.

Bryan Gay 27:37

Like last shooting light moving into late night.

Zakk Plocica 27:40

So do you based off where those cameras are, are you able to move a little closer to where you think they're coming from?

Bryan Gay 27:45

Yep. I can get right in on the property line on that. Um, because it's probably a hundred yards wide, and then property line length, right? Of woods. So it's strips of woods, if you can imagine, between ag fields. Right. So I'm just gonna try and get I so I know he comes across, there's an apple tree in the yard on this edge of the field, and then there's kind of a dirt road that cuts between. There's corridor here, corridor here, and I'm gonna cut him off on the far end because I know he's coming this way.

Zakk Plocica 28:17

What is the wind like there? Is it, I mean, is it pretty more consistent? Because right here, like North Carolina, right? Our wind is seems very inconsistent unless, like, the other day we had a very consistent northeast wind because we had some storms around we had the the hurricane off the coast or the tropical storm off the coast. The wind seemed pretty consistent, they weren't super gusty, they were consistent, which seems pretty rare for North Carolina. Yeah, typically we'll have some gusts, then it seems like a backdraft, you'll get some swirling, just a lot of inconsistencies or no wind.

Bryan Gay 28:49

Pretty consistent, and it's I I'd say this low end is 12 to 13. Wow.

Zakk Plocica 28:55

So you're you're fighting the wind almost. Yeah. So it's pretty gusty. Yep. Um, which can make it uh a little more challenging. A little more challenging, absolutely. So well they do they move? I mean, is there a uh difference in movement whenever it's that windy? Or is it just normal for that?

Bryan Gay 29:11

Yeah, it's normal. Yeah, it doesn't change their habits at all. Um early season the two the two big bucks were running together, but now they've kind of from what he said is is they're kind of separated now, but they're still they're still on the very same property. So I just gotta locate them. So get get between bedding and food.

Zakk Plocica 29:30

So it's essentially the same strategy.

Bryan Gay 29:32

Yeah, I don't change a whole lot. I try, I mean, I will if I have to, based on, you know, obviously terrain, you know, times, accesses, things like that, but it's not gonna be a whole lot of difference.

Zakk Plocica 29:45

So, what about the woods? So here in North Carolina, we know it's thick. You can only get so high before you're above canopy and you can't see it what's going around. What is it the the tree selection like in Ohio?

Bryan Gay 29:55

A lot of oaks in the and it's I can go 40 feet in the tree. Really? Yeah. A lot like Kentucky.

Zakk Plocica 30:01

So you you're gonna get up a little bit higher then in those shoes. Oh, yeah.

Bryan Gay 30:04

I'll run all four sticks. As high as you can.

Zakk Plocica 30:05

Yep. Are you running eiters on all four of them? Just two of them. Just two. So that's how I've set up now, too. We have a similar setup. I have a I've got the trophy line hyper lights. Yep. And I've got eiters on the bottom too. And then I was running, I have four. It seems like it's the fourth is kind of a waste right now with where I've been hunting. It's just in my way. Um, but I've carried it. You know, just got it just in case.

Speaker 02 30:25

Yeah.

EHD vs CWD: Trip Risks and Reality

Zakk Plocica 30:26

Um, but yeah, that's my strategy for Kentucky too, is it'll be higher because it's so much more open there. Yep. Like you can see so far, and it's very easy to do. A six PR shot is realistic. Yes within the wheelhouse. Absolutely. If you're comfortable taking it. But um I think that was one of the my hard lessons last year was I just didn't get the height that I needed, especially hunting with my son, uh, two of us in the tree. Yeah. You know, and um it's just so much more open, it's so much easier to get picked off uh versus North Carolina. Who I mean you can hunt substantially lower because you're it's so you're in the canopy. You're in the canopy already. And there's I mean, even if you feel like you're in the open, there's backdrop. There's so there's so much front and back cover all over um that it's very easy to not be visible quite as easily. You don't get skylined because it's it typically there's a lot below you going on too. Sure. You know, so it's just it's definitely different as far as I think tree selection and hunting height goes.

Bryan Gay 31:27

Yeah. I I'm trying to, and I've found a ton of bottoms, oak bottoms, because I hate climbing pine trees. They're slick, and then when you get like if you have a good platform that digs into the tree or your sticks, you have sap everywhere. It ends up like I like the smell of it. Yeah, but it ends up on my face. I don't know how it's and it's like all over my clothes, and you know, you're like my kids eating chocolate. Yes, a hundred percent. Like, how is it on your forehead? It's gonna get everywhere. It's in my hair, and I'm wearing a hat. I don't know how, but tree sap, and it's thick and it doesn't go anywhere. Impressive.

Zakk Plocica 31:59

So, what about what's the weather gonna be like when you're there? It's still hot right here. We're getting ready to get a uh a temperature drop like Wednesday or Thursday. We're gonna drop into the low 70s. What does the temperature look like there? Is it gonna drop off as well?

Bryan Gay 32:10

It will, it is gonna drop, but it's not gonna be. I think highs in the low 70s is the high.

Zakk Plocica 32:15

So there should be good deer movement then while you're there.

Bryan Gay 32:17

I'm I'm hoping.

Zakk Plocica 32:18

Yeah, because it's uh we're like I said, we're we're getting ready to drop off finally. We've been in like the 80s.

Bryan Gay 32:23

Yeah, it was high yesterday.

Zakk Plocica 32:24

Yeah, super hot. And I'm looking forward to this weather dropping off because like the high is gonna be 72 on like Wednesday or Thursday. Yep. After we get some, we're supposed to get some rain too, which I assume is gonna um get things up and moving. But Jordan Carter, I don't know if you just saw him. Yes, this morning. Yep, he shot that monster North Carolina deer. It was huge. It was like 218 pounds, I think, right? Yeah, 220, something like that. Yeah, that's a big North Carolina deer. Yeah, it was tall, too. Big six. Yeah, real big. It was a good looking deer. Congratulations, Jordan. Um, but yeah, dude, so obviously very different. The the tactic are similar.

Bryan Gay 33:01

Yeah, I'd I'd well, unless I have to change, but I haven't had to yet.

Zakk Plocica 33:05

Right. So, I mean, it's as far as because there's so much ag fields in there, are they coming out and feeding on those? Or is it are they with all the the acorns and stuff, are you are they still in the woods? I'm if like what's your approach initially? Because you can't hunt those ag fields, they're too big.

Bryan Gay 33:20

Right, right, right, right. Yeah, so the that's what's gonna throw a wrench, I think. So if they cut those soybeans and there's still some on the ground, I'm really gonna have to catch them on the way to that. Yes. Um, but they've been feeding acorns, stuff like that. My brother put out a mineral block and they went to that initially, but then it was just kind of like kind of late. Yeah. Um, so that's why you know he's just he's doing the best he can.

Zakk Plocica 33:43

Helping you out, man.

Bryan Gay 33:43

Yeah, that's all you can ask for. But it and even when we went to Kentucky, we went south, and this was not the guided thing. This was just hey, go to this spot. Right. So I set up, and that's when those three bucks came down, the two eights and the ten. That was just m and I was in a super tight spot, like I would hunt here. Tactics didn't change. Right. Um, and then I took the dough that came in behind me because I didn't have any buck tags. But I mean, even still, to be able to get, I mean, they were eight yards from me.

Zakk Plocica 34:14

Yeah, I saw I think you posted a video on that. I did. Yeah. Yeah. Pretty cool. I mean, you had a lot of good encounters, so you're clearly doing something right.

Bryan Gay 34:20

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 34:21

I mean, and so you said whenever you got in there, what what were you hunting over? Was it just a travel corridor?

Bryan Gay 34:26

Yeah, so there was uh AG to my back left, and then I was in like a kind of like a mud pit bottom, and then a ridge to my front, and then I because I was just trying to play the wind, figure out where I can get in and what I can do with as little disruption as possible. They were coming from the ridge line, working through um that mud pit into an AG field. Oh, okay.

Zakk Plocica 34:50

So I caught them in transit, which is ideal because they're super not on alert either, just chilling, just happy to be there.

Bryan Gay 34:57

And that was that was three of the eight I saw that night.

Zakk Plocica 35:00

That's interesting. And they were still bunched up together, but that was super early season.

Bryan Gay 35:03

Yeah. I think that was like the eighth, ninth. Yeah, yeah, very early.

Zakk Plocica 35:07

You got it done right away. Ugh. So, so you know, back to the Ohio thing with with trail cameras, right? You've only got two out. Since you're there, you said you're gonna put out some more cameras. What's the strategy with on on the ground hunting cameras? Like, are you just gonna set a couple out and forget them? Or is it you're gonna like how are you gonna what's the goal or the strategy with putting those cameras out?

Bryan Gay 35:29

So I'm gonna look at you know, obviously travel corridors, it's it's gonna be beat down paths, right? And I'm gonna look for you know, big mature deer sign. Which is uh rubs, scrapes, anything, yeah, big tracks if there's mud around, if you can see it, um, looking at food sources. I mean, there there's just gonna be all kinds of just recon and go.

Zakk Plocica 35:51

Yeah. Are you running, are they gonna be uh cell cams? Yeah, absolutely. So that you can key in right away, get the live alerts.

Bryan Gay 35:58

Um so I like I like the mulletry edges because they don't require an SD card. Oh yeah. Yeah, it's super easy. You just I mean, and it's super easy to set the plan up, so I just turn it on and I can turn it off whenever I want. So I'll pay for the month of it while I'm there for a week and then just you know makes sense.

Height, Trees, and Saddle Systems

Zakk Plocica 36:15

What about as far as height with cameras? This is a pretty uh depending on who you talk to, you know, everyone has a different concept or a different idea how high they should hang tram cameras. Do you hang them above uh eyesight for if I'm in public, yeah. So that no one snags them too.

Bryan Gay 36:30

Yep, yeah. Um, if I'm on private, um generally it it's really not a concern. And there's no like we have issues with bears here, right? Right? So bears will tear your stuff up. Um so I generally hang them here. If I'm on public, I hang them high, at least one stick high on that little contraption I make that you know screws into the tree. Right. And then it just no, you don't even see them.

Zakk Plocica 36:54

Dude, so I just saw a thing on Instagram yesterday about camouflaging your cameras. It was actually kind of cool. So they took uh this blue painter's tape and they tape off the sensor and the the actual lens, right? Yeah, and then they spray adhesive on the front of it and they just dip it in leaves and dirt, and then you pick it up and pull out, dude. It's it blends in good. Really? Yeah, I could see somebody like hunting private or public, excuse me, that has a constant issue with that, or even on private, you're trying to, you know, hide those cameras a little bit better. Seems like a pretty cool concept. They blend in really well.

Bryan Gay 37:27

Okay. Let's glue some cameras to the dirt.

Zakk Plocica 37:30

I mean, you just take, I mean, essentially versus just so it it it breaks up the silhouette really well.

Bryan Gay 37:34

Yeah, yeah.

Zakk Plocica 37:35

Um, versus just, you know, painting them or the brown because a camera sticks out like a sore thumb. Oh, yeah. Like if you're walking through the woods, dude, it's so easy to spot a camera. But if you had something like that, just at least breaks the pattern up, it seems like a cool concept in order to do it. I'm not saying go out and do that, but there's whether you use some kind of tape, um, like stealth strips or something just to break up the pattern of the camera, if that's a concern for you.

Bryan Gay 37:56

I don't, I've never, never even thought about it. I didn't either until I saw that.

Zakk Plocica 38:00

Yeah, most people just hang them high and hang them at an angle.

Bryan Gay 38:03

Yeah, that's what I do. Yeah. It almost religiously. Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 38:08

It makes sense. I I think it's a good idea to get your camera out of the deer's line of sight.

Bryan Gay 38:13

Right.

Zakk Plocica 38:13

Because even if it's like at night with the infrared, that little pink that goes off, or just that noise, I mean, you see it, you see it a lot. I mean, a deer looks right at it. A deer looks right at it, mature deer sees it, doesn't like it, and doesn't come around that camera again. Yep. Yeah, I've also seen that. Yeah. So if you can do everything you can to keep it out of their line of sight and keep them unaware, I think it's probably for in your best interest. Yeah. Yeah. Agreed. Yeah. So what do you think about this week? What what was the timing for this this hunt? Was there a reason that you chose this week, or is it just Columbus Day?

Bryan Gay 38:44

So I can take I can take a day off of work that I'm not having to pay for. Got it.

Zakk Plocica 38:49

That makes sense. So it was based off work schedule.

Bryan Gay 38:52

Yeah, 100%. That's I try to do all of my trips like that if I can, um, base them around a day off, generally on a weekend. So I I work 410s anyways, so I generally have every Friday off. So I can travel Friday, and I know Monday's a paid holiday for my company, and then I'll just take Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. I'll just eat it as sick leave or vacation time, and then come back on that Friday. That makes sense. And then I have the weekend to kind of recalibrate, right? Make things right with the wife for being gone. Yeah, pressure wash the house like I need to do.

Zakk Plocica 39:26

Yeah. I'll get to it, I swear.

Bryan Gay 39:28

Yeah, you don't have to remind me about it every month. Every year. Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 39:33

So what about so you say the Ohio River's right there? Do you have access to that? Is it on the property?

Bryan Gay 39:38

Uh well, I mean, it touches right to it. So on the backside.

Zakk Plocica 39:41

So you when you talk about like uh to a lot of the guys, you you hear, you know, big bucks have wet feet.

Bryan Gay 39:46

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 39:46

Does that stand true with Ohio?

Bryan Gay 39:48

I mean, are you is the river it's gonna be super tough though, because the way the farm is set and the access to it based on the wind.

Zakk Plocica 39:59

Oh, okay.

Bryan Gay 40:00

Right? Because it's on the far back side, and there's like I said, there's that there's a tree line in between with a huge soybean field. So, and the tree line cuts around to the river. So if I can get back there, that's 100% where I'm gonna put a lot of effort into.

Zakk Plocica 40:14

Do you know where these deer are bedding at already? No idea. No clue. So you're just hanging and banging and hoping for the best with this. Yep. This will really test your skill. Yeah. A little nervous. Well, I mean, you just made it worse. Oh, well, that's good. So, but I mean, you've got you've really gained, I mean, all of everything you've done these past two years, you can really this is gonna be a really good test. Sure. To put it all together, right? You you you understand access, you understand wind, you understand terrain features, how to read them, keying in on specific terrain features. I'm really curious to see what you come away with this year. Yeah, me too. Yeah, yeah. You got some good opportunity. There's obviously some good deer that you've already got on camera, so you know they're there. Yep. Now you just have to put in everything into play. That's it. I just gotta piece it all together. That's a giant puzzle. That's the hardest part.

Bryan Gay 40:58

That's it.

Zakk Plocica 40:58

It's so fun though, man.

Bryan Gay 41:00

It is. That and I enjoy it, you know. Trying to you're really it's a game. It literally. Yeah, it's a chess match of okay, now I know where you're at, and now I gotta figure out how to bust your tail. Because we're gonna make this happen. We have a date, and I'm not gonna miss this dance. Right. You know, so we shall see. I'm excited though, it's it's gonna be a little nerve-wracking just because you know I I like to have plans and I don't know. I was telling my wife earlier, I don't know when this happened. That I started like planning everything, like to a T. Like I have a very set schedule. And then if anything gets twisted and I'm like chaos. Now I'm like, oh crap. Gotta be able to adapt. I I do, but it's just, you know, I get so excited. I know you do. Like, go go the Indian boy, and I don't want to like rush things and then you know, get into a pinch and like uh, you know, I want to make sure everything is the way I want it to be done.

Zakk Plocica 41:57

Well, that's the good thing about this hunt. It's just you.

Bryan Gay 41:59

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 41:59

There's no one telling you what to do. There's no one, no, no other outside influence, essentially.

Bryan Gay 42:04

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 42:05

Good or bad. Good or bad, yeah. So what about this time of year? Are you using are you calling at all?

Weather Swings, Movement, and Timing

Bryan Gay 42:12

I mean, I I've tried. I've tried to grunt two, but I don't have any luck with it. Yeah. I just, you know, sitting there blowing on that thing. Yeah, I guess. Um Joe, Joe says he grunted those three bucks in that he had the other night. Did he? Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 42:30

Um, you know, he told me that. So I told him I had a deer, a decent buck come out from betting. I set up, we had that good wind that was coming through the other day. Um, from the storms off the coast, I had a really consistent wind. I got really close to betting. I had a I heard a deer stand up, start grunting. He grunted, came past me like he was on a mission, no idea I was there, but grunting the whole way through. Joe's like, I would have grunted at him. I was like, man, I couldn't even see. It was so thick. He came out on my weak side. I couldn't really get a good glimpse of him until he came through. But he's like, Yeah, I would have grunted right at him right away. I'm like, I didn't even have a grunt tube on me, man.

Bryan Gay 43:04

Yeah, yeah. I have one in the and I'm I don't check things. It's like yesterday, it was set on like the smallest dose setting it had. So I'm like, I'm like, oh god.

Zakk Plocica 43:18

You got a dang turkey call out there or something that just I so I'm just you know, it's it's in the toolkit, but I know it's a rabbit in distress. You just called in a coyote, yeah. Well, which I'll shoot them too. Oh, that's so funny, man.

Bryan Gay 43:33

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 43:34

Uh gear, how does it change for this this hunting scenario? Is anything changed because the weather's gonna be a little bit different, right? It's gonna be a little bit cooler than what we've been hunting in. Here, you basically need a tank top. Yeah, um, it's gonna be cooler. So what changes as far as like I'll just take my midweight base layers.

Bryan Gay 43:52

That's it. Yeah, yeah. I'll just run all my midweight stuff. Um, still run the saddle, still run my same boots. You know, the crispies, just everything is going to stay the same. Still run the saddle. I'll set up a blind if I have to brush it in, or you know, just boots on the ground. Right.

unknown 44:07

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 44:08

Are you shooting um the Mach 30 at this? You shoot the Mach 30. What's your uh arrow of choice?

Bryan Gay 44:14

It is the Easton 5-0. It's running right at 440 grains. Um standard three fletch that I did myself with the uh probably the sever two O's.

Zakk Plocica 44:27

Have you what'd you shoot the Kentucky deer with? What broadhead? The 175. The 175. Okay, so I saw I shot two does this weekend. So the big complaint right now, or not complaint, but the concern is the Easton 5-0. Did you shoot that buck with the 5-0?

Speaker 02 44:41

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 44:41

Did it break the arrow? No. Didn't break the arrow. No. It clean shot. I spined him. You spined him, amazing. And it didn't break the arrow. It didn't break the arrow. Then you shot him again. Yep. Fine. Fine arrows, right? You shot two.

Bryan Gay 44:52

And then I shot the doe, and that one went straight past through. I smoked her heart shot, and it stuck into a log.

Zakk Plocica 45:01

Didn't break the arrow?

Bryan Gay 45:02

No.

Zakk Plocica 45:03

So yeah, this is where I'm I'm kind of the East and 5-0 durability side of things is odd to me. So I have not had the issue either yet. I've stopped shot five O's for this entire year. I'm talking about 3D in total archery challenge. So we're shooting long shots. This is the same arrow setup that I'm running for hunting. Long shots, missed targets, recovered arrows, no broken arrows at all. Then um the arrows 418 grains, and then I shot two does this weekend. I shot one from my stand. I was about 15 feet up, an eight-yard shot, clean pass through, lungs, top of the heart. Buried in the dirt, found my arrow. Cool. No issues with the arrow, looked virtually unfazed. Yeah. Then I got down, I stalked another doe. I shot her from the ground. She was quartering to me. And I put the shot right behind the shoulder. It came out the opposite ham all the way through. Arrow, perfect. No issues whatsoever. Uh, and those were both with hybrid 1.5s from Sever. Uh, so I have not seen a durability issue from the 5.0. And that was kind of my concern this year, too, because you know, I talked to a lot of people. I'm like, I guess the test is gonna be honey this year. We're gonna that's the ultimate test for the durability of an arrow. I've always run an Axis 5 mil, incredibly durable. I think I broke one of those when it's stuck in a shoulder in a deer. It's the only one I broke this year, the 5-0. Yeah. Okay.

Bryan Gay 46:26

I did. I shot, so I shot that the big doe in southern Kentucky, through right behind her right shoulder, stuck into the opposite? Yeah, and it was in the knuckle. Yeah. And it broke off at the other one on the front side.

Zakk Plocica 46:39

And that's typical. You're gonna see every arrow, I think, for the most part, break, most part break that way. But I have not seen any of the five O's personally break center of the shaft for any reason. I've not, I've yet to break one. So I'm curious as people, like if you've if you're running the five O's, like what's your issue that you potentially have had with them, how they've broke, have you had an issue with the five. Leave us some comments and let us know because I'm curious I'm I'm very curious about that because I have not had that experience yet. And I've shot, like I said, five O's all season long with no instances or issues whatsoever to include hunting and killing deer. So yeah, interesting.

Bryan Gay 47:18

And I've got four.

Arrows, Broadheads, and Durability Debates

Zakk Plocica 47:18

Yeah, I've got four in the freezer. Yeah, so I don't know. That's interesting. I don't I'm curious as to uh what the issue is some people are having with them. And my build's nothing crazy. So mine's 50 grains of brass in it, same 100 grain head up front, 418 grains coming out of a um a Mach 33, 76 pounds, 28 and a half inches. It's honestly lighter than I would like because the bow's shooting so fast. Yeah, I would like my bow shooting a little bit um slower, like sub 290s, just because it I think tunes better. Yeah, it's easier to tune. Uh, but it's shooting ungodly fast right now, and that thing is But you're not running collars, are you?

Bryan Gay 47:55

I'm not running collars. That's why, that's where my extra weight's coming in because I have almost the same setup 50 grains of brass up front. Plus the you know, we talked to Cody and he's like, this is the build. 50 grains of brass, collars, do this, do that, 100 grain of or 125 up front, but I'm only running 100. Yeah, so it's gotta be the collars.

Zakk Plocica 48:13

Yeah, it it is. Yeah, the collars are between like 12 and 18 grains, depending on uh which would put you right at that 440. Yep, because I'm at 418. So if it's 12 grain collar, you're there. Yeah, right? Is that the math? That'd be 430, but that's 430. Close. Yeah, close, you know what I'm saying? Math. But um, yeah, it it's interesting. I I don't know, and this was this was kind of a test for me because I've always ran a little bit heavier arrow, like right 440 to 460.

Bryan Gay 48:39

That same.

Zakk Plocica 48:39

Uh, and but I built these arrows specifically for total archery challenge because I wanted something to shoot fat and fast and flat um out to distance. And I wanted that, I want to be able to get my tape that far. And I was like, you know what, I'm gonna test it this year for hunting. So far, so good. I dude, I love it because like dude, between 20 and 40 yards, I don't gotta dial anything. And I'm running a two-pin um HHA, just the vertical two pin. So I was always worried about a vertical pin not having my three indicators 20, 30, 40, because mentally I just ingrained that in myself that I need that. But dude, I've been practicing just gap shooting, just holding um based off distance. And dude, I can put that pin without dialing anything after like 40 yards, and I have no issues whatsoever. Like perfect.

Bryan Gay 49:27

Well, did you see the test I just did?

Zakk Plocica 49:29

No.

Bryan Gay 49:29

So you can set your pin to 50 yards.

Zakk Plocica 49:32

Oh, that Hoyt test, somebody from Hoyt or something?

Bryan Gay 49:35

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I tried it. I put my pin at 50 yards, and then I went from 50 all the way into 20. If you aim a foot low, exactly a foot low, because I marked it on the target, at 20 yards, I'm hitting perfect. A foot low with my 50 yard pin. At 30 yards, a foot low with my 50 yard pin, perfect.

Zakk Plocica 49:54

Yeah, I don't know.

Bryan Gay 49:55

That sounds kind of like a pain in the ass. It is, which I won't do, but if I'm in a spot where I'm a little bit wider open, so say I'm in Ohio, yes, I'm gonna set my pins to 20 or 30, 40, 50, because I won't need the 20-yard pin. I'll just aim at realistically his elbow if he comes into 20 with my 50-yard pin.

Zakk Plocica 50:15

I don't like that. That sounds risky. I so I I my I like that I have the ability to go out to 20 to I think that's 40. My bow is literally right there.

Speaker 02 50:26

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 50:26

Um, it's just, I mean, it's that's the great thing about shooting a fast arrow or fast setup. The trajectory is so flat. You can get away with a lot. Your margin of error is greater.

Bryan Gay 50:37

Yes. You're not worried about over overgrowth, undergrowth, you're shooting flat exactly where you want it. Your pin gap is nothing. So say they're at 26, you just put both pins right on it.

Zakk Plocica 50:49

And I can put both those pins on it, and I know I'm good.

Bryan Gay 50:52

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 50:52

Like there's no issues.

Bryan Gay 50:54

Exactly right.

Zakk Plocica 50:54

Yeah, it's awesome. Um, but the tuning side of things, especially if you're gonna shoot a fixed blade broadhead, that's where I think you'll have a little bit more issues with the bow shooting that fast. Like my bow's shooting like 298 or 299 or something. Too fast, in my opinion, uh, personally. Uh, but it's working this year. And I definitely I'm I'm a mechanical guy uh for East Coast, um, and it works.

Bryan Gay 51:15

Same. I I went down the heavy, heavy arrow rabbit hole. And I mean, and it's just what are you shooting? Where are you shooting? You know, there's a time and a place for everything. Yeah. Um, and it it takes a lot of patience to, I mean, really run a broadhead that's fixed. Because it's a wing. It's it's counteracting the wings that are on the back. You've got to know how to broadhead tune a bow. Oh, yeah. You've got to.

Zakk Plocica 51:39

If you can't do that, you have no business running a fixed blade broadhead.

Bryan Gay 51:42

And you can't just run your rest in or out.

Zakk Plocica 51:44

Yeah, that bow's got to be set up correctly. There's so many more variables to consider. Um, and but if you're into it, that's cool. There's nothing wrong with that. And I don't think there's any wrong answers.

Bryan Gay 51:54

No, there's not. It's whatever you want. You know what it comes down to is shot placement. I I mean, if you want to shoot a freaking field point, if you're putting it right through the pump house, dude, right on. Yeah, that's what it comes down to. I don't care what you're shooting.

Zakk Plocica 52:07

Yeah, and and that comes down to I think what most people need to do is build themselves a forgiving arrow setup, right? Because shooting flat ground versus shooting an animal that's alive, um, it's completely different. You've got hormones, you've got stress, you've got angles, you've got vegetation. There's all these different factors that you've got to consider. Uh, and setting up something that is a more forgiving arrow setup. So if you don't have you're not in the perfect angle, right, you're hunched up a little bit, you're bent, um, your arrow is not as likely to be um off target. Sure. Right. Something so depending on how you build your arrows, you need to build something that's forgiving for you and based off your shooting capability. So if you're not a good shooter, strapping a massive fixed blade on there when you don't know what veins to run on the back of that thing because you're trying to run some low profile vein that doesn't, you know, steer the broadhead. Steer the broadhead well. You don't know how to broadhead tune, it's probably not a good look for you. You might want to run something a little bit more low profile and um simplistic.

Bryan Gay 53:05

I want in a hunting scenario, I want as much forgiveness as possible. Same. And I can shoot fairly decent. Same. I mean, I I'm no pro, right? But I'm gonna we go to attack and we hit foam, we don't lose arrows. Yep. You know what I mean?

unknown 53:21

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 53:21

Yeah, I I think it comes down to just setting up what you're comfortable with and and and like we said, you making the as a hunter, your goal is forgiveness because the end goal is obviously shooting and killing an animal, and you want something that's gonna increase your likelihood of that. So if you're setting yourself up for failure by this massive arrow that's whether it's too heavy or too light with this blade or that blade, just because you saw it on social media and you've never actually tested it, it's probably not the right move. I like we always encourage you to go out and test your equipment before you go out on a hunt. It's gonna save you a lot of headache. A lot of headache. Absolutely. Yeah. Um, what about? So you've kind of made a transition back to a wrist release this year.

Bryan Gay 54:04

Uh so I go back and forth.

Zakk Plocica 54:05

So okay, so do I. So what's your reasoning for or why did you transition back to the the wrist release? Like what what piqued your interest?

Bryan Gay 54:16

So the the stand, the Solex clicker really, because I like the clicker on my thumb button, right? And I just feel like when I do, when I use my hand release, I'm only putting between my index and my middle finger knuckle right on my jawbone. And that's my only point of contact. Where if I'm in a wrist release, I have my whole hand on my face. Or I've got like the valley between my index finger and my thumb on my jawline, my thumb is following my jawline down. It's a very sturdy anchor point, and I can really adjust it to exactly where I want it, and I didn't have to change anything on the bow.

Zakk Plocica 54:52

Right.

Bryan Gay 54:53

So um especially if like you're in like a turkey hunting scenario where I may have to move to, you know, I don't want that thing hanging on my string because it's already rubbed the string, it's it's fraying it from the thumb barrel of the uh Onyx clicker. So um it it's just a time and a place, right? I want to have options when like lately I've been back on the thumb release just because it's it's smooth, it's but I want to be universal to whatever scenario I'm in. So if I'm doing a um ground and pound spot and stock, I'm gonna have wrist release on just because I'll be able to hook into it and pull if I need to in a hurry. Where with the thumb button, it takes a little because I don't want it dangling around on the D loop.

Tuning, Forgiveness, and Shot Selection

Zakk Plocica 55:44

Yeah. So I go back and forth. So my biggest complaint with the I really I really like shooting the stand Solex. I've gravitated towards that. That's all I've hunted with this year. I keep my stand onyx clicker in my um Bino harness. But the thing I dislike about the wrist release is the same thing I like about it. It's attached to me. Yep. My problem is when I'm hanging sticks and stuff, I tink it on them. Same. That's the biggest downfall with it. Um, and I tuck it away, right? It's tucked away, it's out of the way, but it's got this big metal thing that allows you to adjust the length of pull or the actual tether on it for the neck. But that's my biggest complaint is hanging sticks. Sometimes I'll tink it on something and it drives me crazy where you don't have that issue with the thumb button. Yeah.

Bryan Gay 56:28

Um I leave mine in my pack until I'm set.

Zakk Plocica 56:32

What, your wrist release? Yep. So that almost defeats the purpose of it then. Why not just run a thumb button?

Bryan Gay 56:38

Well, so if I'm if I know I'm spotting and stalking and I'm not gonna hang sticks, I'll put the wrist release on. But what if it just happens? Then I've got my thumb barrel right there in my bino harness and I can just roll.

Zakk Plocica 56:49

I gotcha. So I I strap mine on as soon as I get out of the truck because I didn't the other day, and I got in the woods and I said, I got set up and I grabbed my bow and I was like, I don't have my wrist release. I always have my thumb, which was fine, but I was like, I just right there. I didn't I didn't do my normal routine, pull it off my bow and strap it on.

Bryan Gay 57:10

Dude, I didn't have a headlamp. Oh, dude, that's I was Kevin's.

Zakk Plocica 57:14

That's the wor literally if you are deep in the woods and you forget your head, that's the worst thing in the world.

Bryan Gay 57:19

I wait, I walk through a knee-deep swamp to get to where I was at. Nope. And I didn't realize it. I was like, yeah, cruising. I was like, got down. I emptied my pack in the swamp looking for this headlamp. I didn't have my primary or my backup.

Zakk Plocica 57:35

Yeah, that's failure on all parts. 100%. Wow. Dude, so the headlamp story that I mean, that's a bummer, man. When you're out there and you're like, try to use a cell phone to guide your way through the woods, that little light, you can see literally a foot in front of you, maybe, and you're trying to walk through there. An absolute nightmare.

Bryan Gay 57:54

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 57:54

Trying to track a deer with a cell phone.

Bryan Gay 57:57

That's why I'm glad I didn't shoot.

Zakk Plocica 57:58

Oh, dude, that happened to me. Mine died when I was tracking a deer. Yeah, no thanks. That was a nightmare. That's happened last year, I think. Yeah, dude. So that's why you you've got it's called Peak. The peaks, yeah. The peak one is is pretty awesome. It's a killer headlamp. But I I used to run a rechargeable one. I turned it on, start tracking, and it died.

Bryan Gay 58:18

So I found out I can hook in one of those portable powers and it will still work.

Zakk Plocica 58:23

Yeah. So I made that mistake. So I went back to a battery-powered one, and I carry an extra set of batteries, and it seems to have done good so far. Um, and it's got my reds, my blues, my whites with the floodlight and a um a high beam or whatever you want to call it, and it's super bright, so it's fantastic. Uh, but yeah, dude, no headlamp is an absolute bummer, especially like, dude, in the woods at night, I don't care how familiar you are with a property, it's so easy to get turned around.

Bryan Gay 58:50

I don't know why. I veer to the right all the time.

Zakk Plocica 58:54

Yeah. Only in the dark. Do you feel like you lose your coordination in the dark? Uh well, it's not coordination. I usually lose my bearings. Yeah, well, I lose my coordination, it seems like. I'm like, why is my head heavier? Like I didn't know. Like I'll go to step and I'm like off balance. I'm like, what is happening right now? It's like the duck.

Bryan Gay 59:13

I think it's just the uh the difference in like depth perception, you don't know what the ground is. I think so, too type of thing. But yeah.

Zakk Plocica 59:20

Oh big head runaround. Yeah, dude, I know. You think I'd have a monster dome that I just can't support at night? Yeah, dude. Yeah, that's no joke though, man. That's literally the worst thing, man. Whenever you don't have a headlamp or it dies, and you've got to navigate out of the woods at night, just a bummer. And it's not a you know, there's and it's a dark night.

Bryan Gay 59:37

Yeah, I had a little bit of moon cover.

Zakk Plocica 59:39

It's the moon's been pretty bright. I think it was full moon though last night.

Bryan Gay 59:42

Yeah, last night and tonight. And tonight, yeah.

Zakk Plocica 59:44

So hunting's a bummer. Well, they're still moving. You just gotta get them. You gotta get to them. Yep. Yeah. Oh, dude. So, Ohio, you leave on Friday, super excited. You're driving up. Yep. Game plan is get on the ground. Observe. Yep. And you're not going to push in until you have you've confirmed something, or are you going to, because you're only there for a couple days, going to be pretty aggressive and aggressive, yeah. Yeah. I think you have to be in a scenario like that. To mean because what's the worst that's happen that happens? I'm going to bump deer? You're going to bump deer, right? Okay. And if you and if you are able to utilize the wind in your favor, I mean, even if you just bump them, like you said, set up where they're you bump them.

Bryan Gay 1:00:23

Okay. I know where you're at now. Exactly. You're either, and and if it's, you know, mid-afternoon and I bump you out of bedding. Okay, now I'm just looking for food. Right. Because that's where you're going to be going to and from, and I'll catch you in between.

Zakk Plocica 1:00:35

Right. I think that's one of the big fears that we a lot of people have, it was for me, right? Is getting in there and feeling like you're going to screw up an area. In reality, you're not.

Bryan Gay 1:00:44

No.

Zakk Plocica 1:00:45

As long as they don't like it. If they're winding you, that's different.

Bryan Gay 1:00:50

Winding you, stomping, blowing, swimming across the river because now you've ruined that area. Congratulations.

Zakk Plocica 1:00:57

And they'll come back, but you're gonna have to give it time.

Bryan Gay 1:00:59

Oh yeah. Weeks.

Zakk Plocica 1:01:00

Depending on where you're at.

Bryan Gay 1:01:01

Ever.

Zakk Plocica 1:01:02

Yeah. And I think it really depends. But if if you utilize the wind in your favor, right, to an extent, and you slowly creeping through there and you bump deer, they don't Joe's Joe said it great. They don't know what you are, that you're a predator or anything. They'll leave and typically they'll circle back around because they're curious, and it gives you opportunity.

Bryan Gay 1:01:19

I did it last night walking out. Yeah. I was coming through a different swamp because I went through three last night. Um, had my headlamp on, and I walk out with white light. I don't care. Saw two eyeballs. Big deer.

unknown 1:01:32

Right.

Bryan Gay 1:01:32

I looked right at him. He looked right at me, and then I kept walking. He jumped, he went 10 yards and stayed right there until I left. Yep. Did not move.

Zakk Plocica 1:01:41

Yeah. I I think that's one of the biggest fears people have is getting in there and not, you know, they'll just set up without without any real reason to set up. Yeah. And if you're hunting and if you're in a crunch time frame, right, you've got to be a little bit more aggressive than if you're on home turf and you've got an entire season, right? You've got to kind of create opportunity to make things happen when you're out of state. Um, and that requires being a little bit more aggressive, but also being strategic in how you are aggressive. Right, right, right, right. And and wind is king. And wind is king, wind thermals access, right? So you're gonna have to look at, and just because the map or the weather says the wind is a predominantly coming from the north, south, whatever it is, you've actually got to go in there and kind of wind map that yourself because terrine terrain features funnel wind and can make, you know, it says there's a northeast wind, but depending on where you're at, it might be coming out of like the south or southeast, especially in the bottom, especially in the bottom. So you've got to take that into consideration, and that's where again it comes down to being strategic in the way you move through the woods and your woodsmanship skills, right? You take all these data points, you look at them, you've keyed in on areas. Well, then you've got to go put boots on the ground, check the wind, be a little bit of aggressive, be willing to bump deer. Yeah, it's not gonna matter, but yeah, and but not be so hung up on um, you know, a fear of making a mistake that you keep yourself from being having the potential to be successful. Sure. I think people get hung up all the time on that. I know I did. I was like, oh man, it's just not if I don't want to move in too far. I'm like, dude, I've got five days to be here. You've got to make something happen. You've got to commit, you've got to move. You're you gotta get to where the deer are.

Releases, Anchors, and Quiet Setup

Bryan Gay 1:03:19

You can't just sit on one spot and just hopefully they come around. You gotta, I mean, look for sign, look for and come up with a game plan.

Zakk Plocica 1:03:25

Yep, especially if you don't have a bunch of intel to run off of, right? That's what I'm doing. That's what you're doing, which uh to me is the most exciting, right? When there's no expectation, right? Or you or there's a there's that curiosity that comes, you don't know exactly what's there. That's that to me is fun. Yeah, you know, because every time you go out there, you don't know what to expect.

Bryan Gay 1:03:45

Yeah, it's it's I love that. It's just a a new day every day. Yeah, a new piece of land, a new just okay, let's go. We're learning, we're moving, we're gonna try and do make it work.

Zakk Plocica 1:03:55

Yeah, absolutely. I think it's really easy to get up on like the trail camera side of things. It's so easy to just be obsessed with that and not hunt because of you're not seeing something, sure, right? Which takes away the fun for me. I enjoy just being in the woods. Obviously, we all want to kill deer, but it's exciting whenever there's an unknown that comes along with it.

Bryan Gay 1:04:14

Well, that's why I move so much. Yeah, that's why I go to different places. I try to, you know, let's see how successful I can be. And I've been, I think I've been I've been hunting a lot. I've not seen deer, I think, twice.

Zakk Plocica 1:04:26

Yeah. Maybe that just shows growth, I think, as a hunter where you're able to be more consistent on deer.

Bryan Gay 1:04:31

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 1:04:32

Especially in new spots, right? You're understanding and understanding how to read terrain and you know what what attracts them, why are they there? And whenever you understand that, your your uh success rate skyrockets.

Bryan Gay 1:04:43

Oh, yeah. And just just because you think an area looks pretty, yeah, doesn't mean that there's deer that dude. I'm horrible. It's such a deery area. Yeah, this looks perfect. It's open. There's like two oak trees here. This is great. I'm gonna get in here. Yeah, there's zero sign. Not zero sign. Why, but there, but this looks good to me. To me, I'm a hundred percent guilty of that.

Zakk Plocica 1:05:03

I'm a human, not a deer.

Bryan Gay 1:05:04

Why do I think yeah, because it looks this is where I would live. I could put a hammock in here and it'd be perfect. No, yeah, that doesn't exactly work.

Zakk Plocica 1:05:12

No, oh, dude, that's so funny. Yeah, I I love that. I love the unknown side of things. You know, maybe the success rite rate isn't as high as guys running cameras and who have all this intel, but it's to me, it's just fun, man. Going out exploring.

Bryan Gay 1:05:25

But you're building your own intel.

Zakk Plocica 1:05:26

You are building your own intel, man. And then whenever that time comes and you connect, man, it's like you can reflect on everything. Look what I did. Yeah, it's just it's different. And there's I don't think there's any wrong way to do it, whatever your approach is. As long as you enjoy the process, that's what it's all about. That's all that matters. That is it, man. That is it. So heading up Friday, you've got a long drive. Um, you're taking just are you taking just a one bow or are you taking two bows? I'll take two just in case. Yeah, it's always good to have a backup, I think, when you're out of state. Yeah, just because I don't want, you know, you never know, dude. You never know. Stuff happens. We'll see. All right. So what else we got? Anything else exciting going on?

Bryan Gay 1:06:04

I mean, I just found out that Virginia does a um like a deal for licenses for uh veterans. What do you mean? So like I won't have to pay full price. Normally full price for In Virginia? Yeah. What are we talking about Virginia? Because I may go to Virginia in November.

Zakk Plocica 1:06:21

Oh my gosh.

Bryan Gay 1:06:22

Yeah.

Zakk Plocica 1:06:25

Like public?

Bryan Gay 1:06:26

Uh well, I can have the base.

Zakk Plocica 1:06:27

Oh yeah. That I didn't think. So I can so there's been some good deer killed on in Virginia. I just talked to Taylor.

Bryan Gay 1:06:33

Yeah. He shot a monster out there. On Quantico. Yeah. Yep. I am like, and I can stay on the base at a hugely discounted rate because I'm a you know retired. So there goes that.

Zakk Plocica 1:06:46

Is that a bad idea? I was supposed to be in Kentucky already. I'm still trying to finagle my way to get there. Yeah. I don't know what your problem is.

unknown 1:06:53

I don't either.

Zakk Plocica 1:06:53

I don't either. It's this. Yeah, time and money. Time and money. It's not even the money side. I mean, that's not it's not that expensive to go.

Bryan Gay 1:07:00

No, no, no. It's just a time. Especially if you get like a deal where I can get a yearly license for 50 bucks. Yeah, that's crazy. And then I stay uh, you know, at a uh whatever devil dog in for 50 bucks a night. Okay. Yep. Yep. It's only a five-hour drive.

Zakk Plocica 1:07:19

Yeah, it's tough to beat, man. Dude, Kentucky's only like 10 and a half. I mean, that's really not a bad drive either.

Bryan Gay 1:07:24

No, that's what Ohio is for me now. Yeah, so perfect.

Zakk Plocica 1:07:27

All right, dude. So what's the the mental approach looking like for this for you? I mean, are you just open-minded, just going?

Bryan Gay 1:07:32

Oh, yeah. Just no expectations, no, no set plans as much as I I mean, I'm obviously hunting mornings and evenings, but go in, fine sign, make just try and be aggressive as possible without getting, you know, overly, you know, committed to a certain spot and then just you know, run and gun.

Zakk Plocica 1:07:51

That's it. Are you gonna are you planning on is it just are you just after a buck or are you gonna shoot that? You're just after the one deer.

unknown 1:07:56

Yep.

Zakk Plocica 1:07:58

One tag, one deer. Is that what you get in Ohio? Is just one tag? Uh, that's all I bought.

Bryan Gay 1:08:02

I can buy more. I can get, yeah. I can do more.

Zakk Plocica 1:08:05

So anybody going to Ohio could get like dough tags and then a one buck tag for the year? Yeah. That makes sense.

Bryan Gay 1:08:11

So that's we're gonna make it happen.

Zakk Plocica 1:08:14

That's it, dude. Well, hopefully everything goes well. I'm sure uh it will. Um, like I said, you've had nothing but success already this year. Might as well carry that train on forward. I'm trying, brother. Trying. That's it, dude. I'm jealous, man. I'm stoked for you, though. Uh, hopefully, like I said, it all goes well. You have a good trip, um, you learn a lot, you're able to capitalize on something, and then we can report back and see how it went. Yes, sir, absolutely. That's it. All right, guys, that's it. That's another episode of the Archer Project with the one and only Mr. Brian Bobcats and Broadheads. And if you're looking for him, you can find him on all the socials. He's got some entertaining stuff, which he's quite the prankster with the latest uh joke you just played on your wife.

Bryan Gay 1:08:52

Yeah, she I don't know. I actually didn't think it was me, but yeah, well, hilarious.

Night Exits, Headlamps, and Navigation

Zakk Plocica 1:08:56

I feel bad for your wife sometimes. Why? Why does everyone say that? Ah, dude, it's rough. She laughs all the time. She does laugh. She's lucky. She married the funny guy. Yeah. All right. Thanks, Brian, man. Appreciate you joining us, man. Like I said, good luck on the show or the show. The hunt versus the show. Good luck on today's uh uh episode.

Speaker 02 1:09:13

Yeah, you too.

Zakk Plocica 1:09:14

Yeah, thanks, dude. All right, that's it, guys. We're wrapping it up. We got to get to work. We will see you guys in the next episode of the Archer project. Drop some comments, give us some feedback, let us know. I'm curious too on um what you guys are anybody that's in Ohio, hunting Ohio, if you have any feedback on what's going there as far as the EHD problem, drop some comments. Let us know uh what you guys are seeing on the ground there based on what we're seeing on the news. Yeah, I'm very curious. So thanks for listening, guys. We'll see you guys next episode.